Now Available for $999—BlackBerry Z10!

The BlackBerry Z10 went on sale last Monday for an unsubsidized price of $999. It is now available in the US through the wireless service provider Solavei and its retail partner GSM Nation.

Solavei is a Mobile Virtual Network Operator based in Bellevue, Washington. It also uses T-Mobile’s networking, including 4G. It was launched last September, now caters to 120,000 members. The MVNO does not charge for membership, and allows subscribers to offset their monthly service costs by $20 a month for every three new members connected to them.

Online Offering for BlackBerry Z10

BlackBerry’s latest handset was offered online, five weeks before it is expected to become available through the four major US carriers—Verizon Wireless, AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile.

Online sales started last Monday at 8 AM ET, letting customers place an online order for the Z10 and avail the carrier’s $49-worth of monthly service. The service includes unlimited data, voice, and text.

Online orders placed for the BlackBerry Z10 will allow buyers to have their smartphone by Wednesday. In addition, the SIM card that allows activation over Solavei will be installed in the unit. However, this offer is only available for the black Z10 units.

Features and Premium Price

The BlackBerry Z10, which has won praises from tech reviewers since its announcement last month, features a 4.2-inch touchscreen. It also runs the BlackBerry 10 mobile operating system, and is expected to sell under $200 when purchased with a two-year contract via the major US carriers.

Although most unsubsidized smartphones are offered within the $600 to $700 price range, BlackBerry Z10 is available for $999 without a two-year contract. In turn, this brings the device’s price at a premium.

Solavei’s spokewoman Kim Puckett said that the $999 price is what users should expect for getting the handset a month before the US major carriers.

I definitely see $1,000 is high [for an unsubsidized smartphone], but given it is available a month and a half in advance, it’s not. That’s why if you really want it now, you might be willing to pay that puch.

Prior to this, the BlackBerry Z10 went on sale in UK last January 31, and in Canada last February 5.